BUYERS’ GUIDE
6. BLACKMAGIC DESIGN DAVINCI RESOLVE 17 STUDIO WITH SPEED EDITOR £225/$295 blackmagicdesign.com If you are on a tight budget, you can’t go wrong with Blackmagic’s DaVinci Resolve 17 software, as the basic version is totally free, while the full-spec version is only £225/$295. Or, it’s also free if you buy the Speed Editor keyboard, which actually costs the same – £225/ $295. For something so cheap, you would think it might be a simplified editing suite, but the opposite is true. The colour processing is industry standard and used by many top Hollywood films. The latest version has improved audio and HDR tools, too. Resolve 17 has had a total redesign, with evenmore added functionality. It also offers Fairlight audio processing and Fusion graphics. It’s the only programme that has editing and colour correction, plus fully professional audio, motion graphics and visual effects. And it’s the only way to process B-Raw files fromBlackmagic cameras, although it handles most file formats frommost cameras. There are a few exceptions that make it worthwhile spendingmore to get the Studio version. The free software works for 8-bit footage up to 60fps up to 4K. The Studio works with AVCHD, AVC-Intra and All-I H.264 recordings, plus 10-bit encoding. It also works up to 32K resolution and 120fps, you get full-screen playback on a second monitor, lens correction software and improved noise reduction. The Studio version also has Neural Engine software, adding artificial intelligence object removal, auto colour balance andmatching, and facial recognition software. There are more options in the Fairlight audio page and Effects Library, too. And the Studio version offers Dolby Vision in addition to the HDR10+ in the Color page.
IMAGES The latest version of DaVinci Resolve has lots of panel-based functions, but the new Speed Editor (right) is best for quick cutting
Edit pages offers more tools and control. It features drag and drop editing, smart trimming tools, proxy editing, live previews and a library full of effects and transitions. The Color page is a where Resolve excels, with a full range of colour correction and grading tools, includingWide Gamut and HDR images. You canmake changes via conventional sliders or colour wheels which adjust contrast, colour temperature, midtones, saturation andmore. For more advanced users, Curves will adjust the colour and contrast in finer detail, and you can also tweak hue, saturation and luminance separately. Secondary grading lets you adjust one particular colour of an image, Power Windows allows you tomask out during colour changes, while the Tracker lets you follow that shape through a scene. Tools includes waveforms, vectorscopes, histogram, parades and CIE chromacity. An easy way to speed up workflow in the edit is to use the DaVinci Resolve Speed Editor keyboard, which can let you edit using both hands. There are transport controls on the right side and edit functions on the left. This means you can use the search dial and source tape buttons with your right hand to locate shots you want. Then, simultaneously mark clips, perform edits or trim clips with your left hand. It takes some getting used to, but once you do, it’s faster than using a mouse and you won’t want to go back.
The Studio version is faster with smoother playback, and designed to be used by teams, working together or remotely, with plug-ins for remote asset management and automation systems. Resolve is split into separate screen pages, which give a dedicated set of tools for each task. The Media page is to organise clips, Cut and Edit are two different styles of editing pages, Fusion is for motion graphics and effects, Color is for colour correction and grading, Fairlight is for advanced audio, and Deliver for exporting finishedwork. In terms of editing, Cut is simpler for quick turnaround projects, but allows for multicam edits. Instead, using the
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